Maryland Wire Notes and Media Roundup
Cabinet Resets, Today’s Camden Yards & GOIA Bid Deadlines, and a $130M NRL Space ContractFriday, November 13, 2026 | By J. Barry O’Connell, Publisher
Good morning, Maryland.
With just hours left before key Friday procurement deadlines close and next week’s Board of Public Works docket taking shape, Annapolis and Baltimore are both moving fast on leadership and contracting fronts. Here is everything government relations teams, state vendors, and policy insiders need on their radar today.
1. Moore Administration Announces MDE and MDEM Cabinet Transitions
Governor Wes Moore announced a fresh round of second-term cabinet transitions yesterday, naming Adam Ortiz as Acting Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and Dr. Earl Stoddard (Montgomery County Assistant CAO and former OEMHS Director) as Acting Secretary of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), succeeding outgoing Secretary Russ Strickland.
The Takeaway for Annapolis: Combined with Manny Welsh stepping in as Chief of Staff and earlier November departures across State, Public Safety, and Veterans Affairs, the administration is executing a deliberate operational reset across regulatory and emergency-procurement agencies ahead of the 2027 General Assembly session.
Read the Release: Office of Governor Wes Moore / MDE News
2. Closing Today at 2:00 PM: Oriole Park Modular Concessions Bids
The Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA), through construction manager Gilbane Building Company and Warren Builds JV, closes bidding this afternoon on Package 8B (GMP 8B-11B Modular Concessions Stand) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Key Specs: Carries a 32% MDOT-certified MBE goal and prevailing wage requirements.
Action Required: Proposals are due today, November 13, at 2:00 PM EST exclusively via Procore (emailed submissions will be rejected).
Solicitation Details: Maryland Stadium Authority — Package 8B Invitation to Bid
3. Closing Tonight at Midnight: GOIA Workforce & Economic Impact RFP
The Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (GOIA) is soliciting proposals for a 12-week rapid-turnaround study (running through January 31, 2027) to model the sector-by-sector economic impact of federal immigration enforcement and status terminations across Maryland—specifically targeting healthcare, construction, education, biotech/life sciences, and Eastern Shore agriculture and poultry.
Key Specs: Fixed-fee award up to $10,000 covering ACS/BLS data modeling, employer surveys, and policy visuals.
Action Required: Applications are due tonight, November 13, at 11:59 PM ET via email to
immigrant.affairs@maryland.gov.Funding Notice: Office of Governor Wes Moore — Notice of Funding Opportunity
4. Federal Watch: Naval Research Lab Opens $130M Space Electronics IDIQ
Across the DMV defense corridor, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has issued full-and-open solicitation N00173-27-R-0001 (Space Electronic Systems Prototype Development — SESPD Phase III, NAICS 541715). Valued between $80 million and $140 million, the contract succeeds Peraton’s $120.7 million SESPD II vehicle.
The Opportunity: Prime and subcontracting work spans spacecraft and airborne electronics prototyping, testing, and launch support. Proposals are due December 28, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST.
5. Baltimore Launches Executive Search for New Neighborhood Safety Department
Following Monday’s 13–1 City Council passage of Ordinance 26-0221—creating a permanent civilian 911 crisis-response department that absorbs MONSE—Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration has opened executive recruitment for the agency’s inaugural Executive Director (Requisition R0020589, salary $157,684–$260,224, hiring range up to $208,954; open through February 6, 2027) alongside a Division Director of Alternative Response (R0020613).
Vendor Outlook: As City Hall builds out non-police crisis infrastructure from the ground up over the coming year, expect downstream procurement in behavioral health dispatch, data governance, and community outreach once leadership is seated.
Announcement: Office of Mayor Brandon M. Scott — Press Release
6. Docket Check: November 18 Board of Public Works Agenda Live
The Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW) has posted its updated agenda—including Supplemental Item SEC 32—ahead of next Wednesday’s, November 18, 2026 (10:00 AM) session. Contractors and lobbying teams with pending state contract awards, modifications, or capital items should verify docket placement before Wednesday morning.
Review the Docket: Maryland Board of Public Works — Meeting Documents
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Van Hollen is running for Senate majority leader
Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced late Thursday that he will challenge Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader, saying the midterm results were a call to “reject the status quo” and that Democrats need new leadership. The move reverses his on-record line of just days ago that he was not seeking the leadership post — on Monday he was still saying only that he was “actively listening” and “actively calling” colleagues. Van Hollen says more than 10 Senate Democrats have already pledged support, and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan quickly endorsed him; Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since 2017, says he has the votes. The caucus votes by secret ballot Dec. 1.
Source: Maryland Matters
Two more cabinet secretaries out: McIlwain and Strickland
Gov. Wes Moore announced a second round of cabinet departures Thursday: Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain leaves Dec. 31 after 39 years in public service, with Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz stepping in as acting secretary Jan. 1; Emergency Management Secretary Russell Strickland retires Dec. 8 after a 50-year public safety career, with Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard taking over as acting secretary Dec. 9. Moore plans to nominate both Ortiz and Stoddard for Senate confirmation in the 2027 session. They follow last week’s exits of Secretary of State Susan C. Lee, Public Safety Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, and Veterans Secretary Edward C. Rothstein.
Moore hires Angelica Bailey Thupari as deputy legislative officer
Gov. Wes Moore has added Angelica Bailey Thupari as a deputy legislative officer, Maryland Matters’ political notes report — filling a slot on the team that works the General Assembly as the administration heads into the 2027 session. The notes also carry Moore’s response, in a Chuck Todd interview, to his former commanding officer’s criticism of his military service descriptions and Bronze Star.
Source: Maryland Matters
McIntosh lead widens to 1,841 as Baltimore County certifies today
Democrat Shawn McIntosh’s lead over Republican Councilman Nino Mangione in the Baltimore County Council District 5 race grew to 1,841 votes Thursday — 20,807 to 18,966, per the State Board of Elections page — with provisional ballots still unreported and nothing certified. County elections officials aim to certify the Nov. 3 results today, Friday, Nov. 13. A McIntosh win would end a 32-year Republican hold on the northern Baltimore County district, and County Executive-elect Julian Jones has vowed to push the Lutherville Station project through whoever wins the seat.
Source: Good Morning Towson
Maryland GOP chair Nicole Beus Harris draws challengers
Maryland Republican Party Chair Nicole Beus Harris faces a fight for a third term at the party’s December convention: former party executive director Adam Wood announced on Election Day and Yahu Blackwell has also entered, while WCBM host and former congressional nominee Kim Klacik says she is “strongly considering” a run and a “draft Gordana” site is pushing 2022 lieutenant governor nominee Gordana Schifanelli. Harris, the wife of Rep. Andy Harris, has led the party since December 2022; her term runs through Jan. 2, 2027, and the chair vote is set for the Dec. 12 convention. The challenge follows another lopsided election night for Maryland Republicans.
Source: MD Bay News
Health panel backs killing the reinsurance sunset, faster drug price caps
The Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission recommended removing the 2028 sunset on the state’s reinsurance program — funded by a 1% assessment on health insurance policies — and letting the Prescription Drug Affordability Board set upper payment limits more quickly, over insurers’ opposition to the assessment. The recommendations head to the General Assembly for the 2027 session.
Source: Maryland Matters
Montgomery County keeps the Dickerson incinerator, 6–5, over Jawando’s objections
The Montgomery County Council voted 6–5 to keep the Dickerson Resource Recovery Facility incinerator operating and modernize it rather than switch to landfilling, over the opposition of County Executive-elect Will Jawando. Contract and cost details are still to be decided.
Source: Maryland Matters
Anthony Brown joins 42 attorneys general pressing the FCC on robocalls
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general urging the Federal Communications Commission to tighten its Robocall Mitigation Database — vetting filings before providers can route calls, requiring more disclosures, and making it harder for bad actors to enter or re-enter the database. Brown is part of the multistate Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, whose Operation Robocall Roundup has already gotten at least 16 providers suspended or removed from the database.
Source: MarylandFeed
$7.45 million for rental assistance for Marylanders with disabilities
Gov. Wes Moore and Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day announced $7.45 million in federal Section 811 Project Rental Assistance funding to subsidize rent for extremely low-income adults with disabilities, with the department deploying the money over the next six to 12 months through existing financing programs. Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani and Disabilities Secretary Carol A. Beatty will help connect participants with Medicaid and daily-living services.
Source: MarylandFeed
Worcester County keeps its Annapolis lobbyists for another year
Worcester County commissioners voted unanimously to retain R&R Solutions LLC for another 12 months at $108,400, unchanged from the firm’s first year, to advance priorities including widening Route 90, opposing offshore wind development, and preserving local control over county affairs.
Source: Ocean City Today Dispatch
Via The Maryland Wire: Maryland sued Kalshi first. Then Kalshi hired Annapolis.
New York sued Kalshi in July, but Maryland got there first — the state’s gaming commission told Kalshi to stop offering sports bets to Marylanders in April of last year, Kalshi sued the state, and in August a federal judge refused to stop Maryland from enforcing its laws. While the company fights the state in court, it has hired three Annapolis lobbyists to work the legislature — over a market the Wire puts at about $7 billion a year in offshore and unregulated casino spending, with legal online casinos projected to bring in $290 million a year in taxes.
Source: The Maryland Wire
Via The Maryland Wire: The mailbox won Question 3
Everybody thinks campaigns are won on television — but in the two weeks that decided Question 3, the committee backing a yes vote spent $402,209, and the biggest single check, $166,171.60, went to a Washington direct-mail firm called Pivot. The mailers said STOP TRUMP. VOTE YES ON QUESTION THREE, and they landed in mailboxes all over Maryland in mid-October. Question 3 passed with 60.42 percent of the vote.
Source: The Maryland Wire
Woman of Distinction: Laura H. Atas, Architect of Sound Fiscal Policy and Dedicated Public Servant
From advising Maryland’s lawmakers on complex economic legislation to shaping policy at the State Treasurer’s Office, Laura H. Atas exemplifies steady, principled leadership in Annapolis.
Behind every resilient public institution stands a leader whose mastery of policy and law turns high-level vision into practical governance. In Maryland, few embody that quiet, indispensable strength more clearly than Laura H. Atas, the state’s Deputy Treasurer for Public Policy. Recognized for her sharp legal acumen, collaborative spirit, and more than a decade of dedicated service to the people of Maryland, Atas has built a career defined by integrity and institutional stewardship.
A native of Kingsville, Maryland, Atas cultivated her commitment to public service and clear communication early on. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating with academic distinction as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Driven by a desire to understand and shape the frameworks that govern daily life, she continued her education at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, earning her Juris Doctor in 2011 and gaining admission to the Maryland State Bar the very same year.
Rather than seeking the spotlight of private practice, Atas immediately dedicated her legal training to the public good. In November 2011, she joined the Maryland General Assembly’s Department of Legislative Services, launching a ten-year tenure that would make her one of Annapolis’s most trusted policy minds. Rising from Senior Policy Analyst and Legislative Counsel to Principal Policy Analyst and Legislative Counsel, Atas became an essential resource for lawmakers navigating intricate economic and regulatory terrain. Her portfolio included advising the House Economic Matters Committee as well as the Joint Workers’ Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight Committee and the Joint Unemployment Insurance Oversight Committee—work that directly impacted Maryland businesses, workers, and families across the state.
In January 2022, Atas brought that deep legislative expertise to the executive branch when she was appointed Deputy Treasurer for Public Policy in the Maryland State Treasurer’s Office. Working out of the Goldstein Treasury Building in Annapolis alongside State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, she leads the office’s legislative and public policy initiatives. In this vital leadership role, Atas bridges the gap between the General Assembly and the Treasury, evaluating emerging financial trends, safeguarding the state's investment standards, and ensuring that Maryland’s fiscal policies remain both innovative and prudent.
What sets Laura H. Atas apart as a Woman of Distinction is not merely the breadth of her resume, but the caliber of her character. Colleagues across state government know her as a thoughtful, unflappable strategist who approaches every policy challenge with rigor, fairness, and an unwavering focus on what best serves Marylanders. In an era where public trust is paramount, Atas stands out as a role model for the next generation of women in law, finance, and government—proving that lasting impact is forged through preparation, service, and excellence.